Parables of Christ

In a similar vein as yesterday’s post, here are the principal parables of Jesus. There are thirty-four by this count (source: St Joseph’s edition of the New American Bible, page 349). Shouldn’t be too difficult to memorize.


1. The Wayward Children (Matthew 11:16-19, Luke 7:31-35)

2. The Two Debtors (Luke 7:41-42)

3. Fig Tree / A Sign of Summer (Matthew 24:32-25, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-31)

4. The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9)

5. The Corrupt Judge (Luke 18:1-8)

6. A Divided Kingdom (Matthew 12:25-27, Mark 3:23-26, Luke 11:17-26)

7. Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)

8. The Merciless Official (Luke 18:21-35)

9. The Mustard Seed and the Leaven (Matthew 13:31-33)

10. The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50)

11. The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

12. The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

13. The Foolish Rich Man (Luke 12:16-21)

14. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

15. The Lowest Seat (Luke 14:7-14)

16. The Seed (Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:4-15)

17. The Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

18. The Faithful and the Worthless Servant (Matthew 24:45-51, Luke 12:42-48)

19. The Useless Servants (Luke 17:7-10)

20. The Straying Sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:3-7)

21. The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-21)

22. The Silver Pieces (Matthew 25:14-30)

23. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

24. The Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)

25. The Parable of the Sums of Money (Luke 19:11-27)

26. The Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19)

27. The Treasure and the Pearl (Matthew 13:44-46)

28. The Exhortation to Vigilance (Matthew 24:43f, Luke 12:39f)

29. The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-17)

30. The Need for Watchfulness (Mark 13:34-37, Luke 12:36-38)

31. The Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14, Luke 14:16-24)

32. The Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30)

33. The Wily Manager (Luke 16:1-13)

34. The Yeast (Matthew 13:33)



Notes:

The Gospel of Luke contains the most parables, with 23. Following are Matthew with 17, Mark with 6, and John with 2.

Luke is truly the parable king, here, with 13 parables that are unique to his Gospel alone.

Of the thirty-four parables, only four are found in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Surprised that John has only two; yet those two are really the cornerstones of Christianity: the Good Shepherd and the Vine and Branches.